Sharon Epperson, named one of “12 to Watch in TV News,” can be seen regularly on CNBC television and other media platforms.
As CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, Epperson covers the many facets of how people manage, grow and protect their money. Her expertise includes saving and investing for retirement, paying for college, managing mortgages, student loans, credit cards, and other debt, and building a financial legacy through estate planning.
She frequently writes for CNBC.com and also contributes to NBC’s TODAY, NBC Nightly News, NBC News Daily, NBC News Now as well as Today.com and NBCNews.com.
Epperson has been a lead contributor to “Invest in You: Ready. Set. Grow.”, a multi-platform financial wellness and education initiative at CNBC, and developed its companion 8-week online learning course and newsletter series, “Invest in You: Money 101”, that is also available Spanish, “Invierte en Ti: Dinero 101”
Preparing your finances for the unexpected is another critical (and personal) aspect of her reporting. In September 2016, Epperson sustained a ruptured brain aneurysm and she nearly lost her life. She has become a staunch advocate for health and wellness issues, raising awareness about brain aneurysms and funds for research. In September 2018, she and her family established “The Sharon Epperson Chair of Research” through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to provide grants for research on early detection and innovative treatments.
Her book, The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money-and Live Richly Ever After, was a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Awards, honoring works that have “changed the lives of millions.” She also was a contributing writer for The Experts’ Guide to Doing Things Faster.
Her personal finance expertise has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Weekend, Self, Essence, Ebony, and TIME, where she had covered business, culture, social issues and health as a correspondent prior to joining CNBC.
Epperson is committed to improving financial literacy, particularly in underserved communities. She was invited to the White House during President Obama’s administration to speak about financial literacy and to moderate a public meeting of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability at the U.S. Treasury Department. She also speaks frequently at conferences and events for local and national organizations, colleges and universities about many facets of personal finance.
Epperson has numerous industry and civic awards, including First Place in Live Streaming from Cablefax for CNBC’s “Invest in You: Ready. Set. Grow America’s Financial Education,” as well as the Special Achievement Award from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Savvy Inspiration Award from the non-profit, financial empowerment group Savvy Ladies.
She won an Alliance for Women in Media’s Gracie Award for Outstanding Online Host for her “Financial Advisor Playbook” video series on CNBC.com. She has received the Vanguard Award for her distinguished career in business and personal finance reporting from the National Urban League Guild, and the All-Star Award from the Association of Women in Communications. She also has won awards from the New York Festivals, the New York Association of Black Journalists, and the National Association of Black Journalists.
An adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Epperson has taught courses at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. She enjoys teaching the importance of budgeting and building long-term savings as part of her professional development courses for graduate students.
Epperson received her bachelor’s in sociology and government from Harvard University, a master of international affairs degree from Columbia University, and honorary doctorates from Carlow University in Pittsburgh and Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York. A Pittsburgh native, she has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame at Taylor Allderdice High School, her alma mater.
